FA Cup: Pedro Neto Hattrick Gives Chelsea's Liam Rosenior Memorable Return To Hull City

Last Updated:February 14, 2026, 07:46 IST

Neto's treble and a strike from Estavao powered Chelsea to a 4-0 rout of Hull City as Rosenoir marked a triumphant return to the club he played for five years and managed for two.

Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-0 victory over Hull, thanks to Pedro Neto’s hat-trick, marking an emotional return for Liam Rosenior to his former club, which had dismissed him two years ago.

Rosenior’s team took an early lead with Neto’s impressive first-half goal before the Portuguese forward scored again after the break. Estevao Willian added Chelsea’s third goal, and Neto completed his hat-trick to seal the fourth round win at the MKM Stadium.

The evening was significant for Blues boss Rosenior, who faced the club that ended their long association with him in 2024. Rosenior, who had supported Hull as a child alongside his season-ticket-holding grandmother, played for the club for five years and managed them for two seasons. He was dismissed after narrowly missing out on the Championship play-offs, amid criticism of his team’s conservative tactics.

Despite the difficult end to his tenure at Hull, the 41-year-old expressed that returning to Humberside was an “amazing thing" and took the opportunity to demonstrate what his former club had missed. “This club means a lot to me and my family for many reasons," Rosenior said. “I hope they make the Premier League this year, but our attitude and application gave us the platform to win tonight."

Rosenior has made an impressive start at Chelsea since joining from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca in January, securing eight wins in his first 11 matches across all competitions. He made seven changes for this match, with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Joao Pedro among those who missed out, yet Chelsea proved too strong for the Championship promotion contenders.

“Pedro Neto has been outstanding; he works so hard and has so much quality. I’m delighted to see him get the goals," Rosenior said. “The most pleasing aspect was the mentality. It was a strong performance in terms of the mental application needed for success. Everyone worked hard for each other."

Chelsea’s dominance in possession led to their breakthrough in the 40th minute when Liam Delap set up Neto, who finished superbly from 20 yards. After the interval, Andrey Santos’ towering header was pushed over by Dillon Phillips, and from the resulting corner, Neto’s inswinger caught Phillips off-guard, doubling Chelsea’s lead in the 51st minute.

Unlike their recent Premier League match against Leeds, where Chelsea squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2, there was no such slip-up this time. Estevao secured their third goal with a composed finish from 12 yards in the 59th minute, and Neto added a fourth in the 71st minute with a low finish from Delap’s lay-off.

In Friday’s other fourth-round tie, Wrexham defeated fellow Championship side Ipswich 1-0. The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, reached the last 16 for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

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